AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC STATEMENT

AI Index: AFR 12/003/2010

29 January 2010

Angola: Amnesty International urges Member States to participate in the Universal Periodic Review of Angola

Angola will be reviewed by the Working Groups of the UN Human Rights Council (The Council) under its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism on 12 February 2010. Amnesty International calls on Member States to take an active part in the review and to make concrete, meaningful and measurable recommendations.

The UPR offers an opportunity for UN Members States to contribute to ensuring that there is real respect and accountability for human rights in Angola. In particular, Amnesty International encourages African Member States to take an active part in the process. Like Angola, most African countries are a party to the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights. Angola is also a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Amnesty International urges these countries in particular to participate in the UPR of Angola.

Amnesty International urges Member States to make the following recommendations to the Angolan government during the UPR:

• Ratify all outstanding human rights treaties including: the UN Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol; the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty; the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; the Convention on the non-applicability of statutory limitations to war crimes and crimes against humanity; the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (as included in Angola's voluntary pledges and commitments to promote human rights, in the context of its candidature to the Human Rights Council for the term 2007-2010) and to implement them in national law.

• Stop all forced evictions and place a moratorium on mass evictions until a comprehensive human rights-based housing policy and a legal framework providing effective remedies are in place.

• Provide immediate assistance, including adequate housing, to those who have been forcibly evicted and who remain homeless, and adequately compensate all victims of forced evictions.

• Respect and protect the work of human rights defenders and other members of civil society by ensuring that they are free to carry out their human rights activities without interference, in accordance with international human rights standards and in line with Angola’s voluntary pledges made in the context of its election to the UN Human Rights Council.

• Ensure that no one is arrested for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

• Amend or repeal laws which inhibit the right to freedom of expression and restrict the independence of the media, including those regarding defamation of the Head of State and public officials.

• Respect, protect and promote the right to freedom of expression of journalists and ensure that any proceedings against them are carried out in accordance with international human rights law and standards.

• Ensure that prompt, impartial and thorough investigations are carried out into all suspected cases of extrajudicial execution, torture and ill-treatment, excessive use of force, death in custody or other human rights violations by the police, and that the perpetrators of such violations are brought to justice promptly and in accordance with international standards for fair trials.

• Ensure reparation, including fair and adequate compensation, for victims or families of victims of human rights violations by the police.

Background

The UPR process provides an opportunity to review the human rights record of all UN Member States every four years; for Member States to clearly state their position on the need to improve human rights in the country under review and to work in a cooperative manner with that country to identify measures to overcome challenges and to improve the fulfilment of its human rights obligations and commitments. Therefore, it is imperative that the interactive dialogue between the country under review and other participating states in the UPR be used effectively. It should focus on the main human rights problems in that country and participating states should make precise and measurable recommendations to address these and to strengthen the enjoyment of human rights of all its citizens.

Further information on the human rights situation in Angola, including Amnesty International’s submission to the UPR can be found at: www.amnesty.org

ENDS/

Public Document

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org

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